MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

The angiosperm shows such a large diversity in external or morphology, they are
all characterized by presence of root, stems, leaves, flower and fruits.
The Root – In majority of dicot plant, the radicle elongates to form primary root
inside the soil, it bears lateral root.
Type of Roots
a) Tap root system – (Dicot plants) - It has a primary root, which grows inside
the soil, it bears secondary roots and tertiary roots eg. Mustard plant
b) Fibrous root system – (Monocot plant) – The primary root is short lived, it
is replaced by large number of roots, which originate from the base of the
stem. Eg. Maize
c) Adventitious roots – The roots arise from the parts of the plant other than
radicle eg. Banyan tree, Grass

Functions of the Root

1. It helps in fixation and absorption of water and minerals from the soil.
2. It helps in storing reserve food materials.
3. They synthesize certain plant growth regulators

Regions of the Root –

The root apex covered by thickened protective cap called root cap, it protects
the root as it passes through the soil.

a) Region of Meristematic activity or cell division – This region is made up of

actively dividing meristematic cells, this region is small, thin walled with
dense protoplasm. They divide repeatedly.
b) Region of Elongation – The cells undergo rapid elongation and enlargement
and brings about increase in the length of the root.
c) Region of Maturation – The elongated cells differentiate and mature. Some
of the epidermal cells form delicate thread like structure called root hairs.

The Stem
The stem is the ascending axis of the plant. It develops from the plumule of the
embryo of a germination seeds.
a) The stem is negatively geotrophic.
b) The stem bears, terminal and axillary bud.
c) The stem is differentiated into nodes and internodes
d) Branches, leaves and fruits develop from embryo of germination seeds.
e) The stem is green when young and later become woody and dark brown.
Function –
1. It bears leaves, branches, flowers and fruits.
2. It conducts water, minerals and photosynthesis.
3. It stores food, gives support, protection and helps in vegetative propagation.

Leaf
Leaf is a green flat extended structure borne on the stem of the nodes as a lateral
outgrowth. Leaves originate from shoot apical meristems and arranged in an
acropetal order. It is photosynthetic in function.

Parts of a leaf
A typical leaf consists of an expanded part called leaf blade or lamina and a stalk
called petiole, leaves without petiole and are said to be sessile and those with
petiole are said to be petiolate. In some members of Leguminosae, the base of the
petiole is swollen and is known as pulvinous. The base of the leaf has two green
outgrowth called stipules. The lamina has a prominent median ridge called mid-
rib. It gives rise to lateral branches called veins.

Venation – The arrangement of veins in the lamina is called Venation.

1. Reticulate – it is seen in dicot plant where the veins are repeatedly branched
and irregularly distributed forming a complex network eg. Smilax, Hibiscus.
2. Parallel venation – in this the veins run parallel to each other, it is seen in
monocot plant eg. Grass.

Type of Leaves
1. Simple leaf – it consists of a single leaf blade and a stalk called petiole. The
lamina is oval shows reticulate venation with prominent midrib and veins.
2. Compound leaf – Here the leaf lamina is dissected into smaller fragments
called leaflets or pinnae.
a) Pinnately compound leaf – The leaflets are found along the length of the
rachis eg. Neem
b) Palmately compound leaf – The leaflets are attached at a common point at
the tip of the petiole eg. Oxalis, silk cotton.

Phyllotaxy
It is the pattern of arrangement of leaves on the stem, they are of three types.
a) Alternate phyllotaxy – There is only one leaf at every node and every node
has the leaf in different direction eg. China rose, Mustard, sunflower.
b) Opposite phyllotaxy – here the plant produces two leaves of the same size
facing opposite direction at every node eg. Calotropis, Guava plant, Vinca.
c) Whorled Phyllotaxy – In this type every node produces more than two leaves
of the same size at every node eg. Alstonia, Nerium.
The Inflorescence
A flower is a modified shoot wherein the shoot apical meristem changes to floral
meristem which transforms into a flower.
The arrangement of flowers on the floral axis is termed as inflorescence, they are
of two types.
a) Racemose – In this the main axis continues to grow, the flowers are borne
laterally in an acropetal succession.
b) Cymose – The main axis terminates in a flower; hence it is limited in growth.
The flowers are borne in a basipetal succession.

The Flower
Flower is defined as a modified shoot meant for sexual reproduction.

Parts of a flower - The flower consists of a stalk called pedicel. The tip of that is
swollen to form the thalamus or the receptacle. On which the four floral whorls
are arranged. The outer green calyx (sepals). the second whorl are called petals,
third is androecium (stamen) which is the male sex organ and the innermost is
gynoecium made up of carpels which is the female sex organ.

The Androecium consists of stamen which has a long stalk, the filament, and at
the tip an elongated bilobed anther inside which the pollen grains are present.
The Gynoecium consists of elongated slender stalk called style. The tip of which
is swollen called stigma and the base is ovary with ovules.

General Terms

1. Sessile – A flower which does not have a pedicel. The flower directly arises
from the stem.
2. Bract – The small leafy structure present at the base of the pedicel is called
bract. If the flower has a bract it is called bracteate. A flower without bract is
called Ebracteate.
3. Bracteole – A pair of small green leaf like structure present above the bract or
on the centre of the pedicel is called bracteolate. A flower with bracteole is
called bracteolate and a flower without it is called Ebracteolate.

Flower Symmetry

1) Actinomorphic (Radial Symmetry) – When a flower can be divided into 2 equal

halves when cut in any plane is called actinomorphic. Eg. Mustard, Datura
2) Zygomorphic (Bilateral Symmetry) – When a flower can be divided into 2
similar halves in one plane is called zygomorphic. Eg. Cassia, pea, gulmour
3) Asymmetric (Irregular) – A flower which cannot be divided into 2 equal halves
in any plane. Eg. Canna
A flower may be Trimerous, Tetramerous or Pentamerous, when the floral
appendages are in multiple of 3,4,5 respectively.

Terms
1. Incomplete Flowers – A flower in which one of the whorls is missing.
2. Complete Flower – A flower in which all the whorls are present.
3. Homochlamydeous – A flower where there is no differentiation between
calyx and chorolla.
4. Heterochlamydeous – A flower has well differentiated calyx and corolla.
5. Bisexual Flower – A flower which possesses both sex organs (androecium
and gynoecium).
6. Unisexual Flower – A flower which only possesses one sex organ. It can
be either a male or female flower.

Based on the position of the ovary and floral parts on the thalamus flowers are
classified into;

1. Hypogynous – The Gynoecium occupies the highest position while the

other parts are situated below it. The ovary is called superior ovary.
Eg. Mustard, china rose, bringal
2. Epigynous – The Thalamus grows upward enclosing the ovary completely
and getting fused with it. The other parts arise above the ovary. The ovary
is called inferior ovary. Eg. Guava, Cucumber
3. Perigynous – The Gynoecium is situated in the centre and the other parts
are located almost at the same level. The ovary is called half-inferior ovary.
Eg. Plum, Rose, Peach.

Calyx – It is the outermost whorl of the flower consisting of green colour leaf-
shaped structure called sepals. If the sepals are fused, they are called
gamosepalous and if free, they are called polysepalous.

Corolla – It is the second whorl of the flower consisting of brightly coloured

units called petals. If the petals are fused, they are called gamopetalous and if
free, they are called polysepalous.

AESTIVATION – It is the arrangement of sepals and petals in the flower bud.

1. Valvate – The margins of the sepals or petals just touch one another at the
margin, they do not overlap each other. Eg. Calotropis
2. Twisted – The margins of the sepals or petals overlap regularly such that
one margin is inside and the other outside. Eg. Hibiscus, China rose, lady’s
finger, cotton.
 3. Imbricate – From the five sepals or petals, on has both the margins inside,
one has both the margins outside and the remaining have one margin in and
the other margin out. Eg. Cassia, Gulmohur
4. Vexillary or Papilionaceous – Here, the posterior large standard petal has
both the margin outside overlapping the wing petals. The keel petals have
one margin inside and the other margin outside. The outer margins
touching each other. Eg. Pisum, orchids

Androecium – It is the male reproductive part of the flower composed of units

called stamen. Each stamen consists of a filament, a connective tissue and an
anther lobe which contains pollen grains.

1. Epipetalous – The stamens are found attached to the petals.

2. Epiphyllous – The stamens are attached to the tepals.
3. Adalphous – Here the filaments are fused and anther lobes are free.
a) Monoadalphous – The filaments are united to form a single bundle
Eg. Hibiscus, China rose
b) Diadalphous – The filaments are fused to form 2 bundles. Eg. Pea
c) Polyadalphous – The filaments are united to form more than 2 bundles.
Eg. Citrus

There is variation in the length of filament within a flower eg. Salvia, Mustard.

Gynoecium – It is the female reproductive part of a flower which is composed of

carpels. A sterile gynoecium is known as pistillode. The Gynoecium has 3 parts,
Style, Stigma and Ovary. The ovary bears ovules.

Apocarpous – The Carpels are free. Eg. Lotus, Rose

Syncarpous – The Carpels are fused. Eg. Mustard, Tomato

Placentation – The arrangement of ovules in the ovary is known as placentation.

1) Marginal – The ovules are attached along the ventral suture. It is only
monocarpellary ovary. Eg. Pea
2) Parietal – The ovules are formed attached to the periphery where the
carpels meet. Eg. Mustard
3) Axile – Ovules are present at the centre of the ovary. Eg. Hibiscus
4) Basal – The ovules are attached at the base of the unilocular ovary.
Eg. Sunflower
5) Free-Central – The Ovules are present on the central axis and septa are
present. Eg. Dianthus.
The Fruit -
After fertilisation, the ovary of a flower develops into a fruit and the wall of the
ovary forms the fruit wall called pericarp which shows 3 components. Outer
Epicarp, Middle Mesocarp and Inner Endocarp.
The Mango and Coconut fruit are called drupe. They develop from
monocarpellary superior ovary and one seeded. The walls of these fruits are well
differentiated.
In some species, the fruits are formed from the other floral parts of the flower,
these are called as false fruit or pseudo fruit.
Eg. Apple, Pinapple

When a fruit develops from an unfertilised ovary, it is called a parthenocarpic

fruit (seedless fruit)

The Seeds
The ovules after fertilization develop into seeds. A seed is made up of seed coat,
an embryo and endosperm. The embryo in a seed has a radicle and plumule.

Dicot seed (Bean seed) – Ex albuminous seed

It is non-endospermic seed, it has two cotyledons, it has a scar called helium, it
has a ridge called raphe, above the helium is a small pore called micropyle. The
seed coat has two layers testa and tegma. The embryo has two cotyledons which
store food material. The pointed end has radicle and plumule. As the seed
germinates the radicle gives rise to the root and the plumule gives rise to shoot.
The endosperm is absent. Some seeds like castor. The endosperm is a food storing
tissue and called endospermic seed. In some plants like bean, gram and pea, the
endosperm is nor present such seeds are called non- endospermic seeds.

Monocot Seed (Maize seed) – Albuminous seed

The seed has endosperm tissue, it is a one seeded fruit called Caryopsis. The seed
coat are fused to form a common thin brown structure. The endosperm is
surrounded by a layer called aleurone layer which is rich in proteins. It consists
of one large shield shaped cotyledon known as scutellum, the shoot axis with
plumule is enclosed with a sheath called coleoptile and the radicle is enclosed
with a sheath called coleorhiza.

Technical description of a typical flowering plant

1. Various morphological description has been described in a simple a d scientific
language.
2. it starts with Habit, Vegetative character – Root, Stem, and Leaves, then floral
characters and flower parts.
3. The floral diagram and floral formula are presented. The symbols of floral
formula are:
a) Bract – Br b) Calyx -K, c) Corolla – C Perianth – P e) Androecium – A
f) Gynoecium – G g) Male - ♂ h) Female - ♀ i) Bisexual – ♀
j) actinomorphic - k) zygomorphic - %

Taxonomic description of Family – Solanaceae

Vegetative Characters
Habit – Herb, Shrub and rarely small tree.
Toot – Tap root
Stem – Erect, Herbaceous, Hairy or glabrous, branched, cylindrical, underground
stem in potato (Solanum tuberosum).
Leaves – Ex-stipulate, simple, alternate, pinnately compound, petiolate, reticulate
venation.
Floral Characters
Inflorescence – Solitary, axillary or cymose as in Solanum.
Flower – Ebracteate, Ebracteolate, pedicellate, complete, bisexual,
actinomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous.
Calyx – Sepals 5, Gamosepalous, Valvate aestivation.
Corolla – Petals 5, Gamopetalous, valvate aestivation.
Androecium – Stamens 5, epipetalous, dithecous.
Gynoecium – Bicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary, bilocular, axil
placentation.
Fruit – Berry or capsule
Floral Formula – Ebr, Ebrl,
Floral Diagram –

Economic Importance of Family Solanaceae

1. Source of food – Tomato, Bringal, Potato
2. Spices – Chilli
3. Medicine – Ashwagandha, Belladonner.
4. Fumigator – Tobacco
5. Ornamental - Petunia